AMMAN: The Syrian armed forces have intensified operations against armed groups in Idlib and Aleppo after the militants took control of the cities in the northwestern region of the country.
Syria’s defence ministry said the force had reinforced its defensive lines in the region with troops, rocket launchers and heavy military hardware.
In a statement, it said joint Syrian-Russian warplanes have launched precise strikes on armed groups’ positions, killing and wounding dozens. It claimed to recapture several towns that had been overrun in recent days by armed groups.
The BBC, quoting UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported that Russia carried out a series of air strikes” in Syria on Sunday as armed groups advanced after seizing Aleppo.
Twelve people were killed in a strike on a hospital in Aleppo, while a strike inside the north-western city of Idlib killed eight persons and wounded more than 50, the Human Rights Watch said as cited by BBC.
The Syrian army stated that it targeted the hideouts of the armed groups.
The violence in Syria comes after a series of attacks by armed groups in Aleppo and Idlib, prompting widespread international concern. The escalation threatens to derail ongoing peace efforts and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Earlier President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to crush armed groups who had swept into the city of Aleppo.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Holds Talks with Assad in Damascus
Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister has held talks with the Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Sunday afternoon, Iran’s Mehr News Agency reported. The Iranian Foreign Minister arrived in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Damascus, Araghchi said, “We firmly support the Syrian army and government.”
Araghchi reiterated that the offensive, which was launched almost simultaneously as a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect in neighbouring Lebanon, was a plot by Israel to destabilize the region, IRNA reported.
READ ALSO: Russia, Iran, Turkey Discuss ‘Dangerous’ Escalation in Syria
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also held phone calls with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts on Saturday expressing concerns over the “dangerous” escalation of hostilities in Syria, Moscow said.
Since Wednesday, armed groups that have been clashing with Syrian forces in the northern part of the country have been advancing rapidly in both the rural areas of Idlib and Aleppo province. On Friday, the groups entered Aleppo’s city centre and reached the central districts by evening.
On November 27 and 28, armed groups rapidly advanced from western Aleppo’s countryside toward the centre, capturing numerous areas in Idlib’s countryside.
